China's Mid-Autumn Festival travel market remained stable this year, with tourists favoring local and short-distance trips blending travel with festive reunions and rich cultural experience, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
The Mid-Autumn Festival, one of the most important festivals in Chinese culture, is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese lunar calendar and dates back for more than a millennium. As a festival in honor of the moon and harvest, families reunite on the occasion to admire the bright full moon, light lanterns and share the holiday pastry of mooncakes.
Local getaways and short trips were particularly popular during the holiday, with Chinese-style night tours which allow tourists to enjoy the full moon with their families, emerging as a major trend.
These night excursions, featuring moonlit boat cruises, bonfire parties, performances showcasing intangible cultural heritage (ICH), and outdoor concerts, provided visitors with a rich and immersive cultural experience while also becoming a key highlight for promoting local culture and stimulating holiday consumption.
Data from online travel platforms showed a 77 percent surge in searches related to night tours of ancient towns and gardens, while searches for night boat cruises increased by 42 percent.
"ICH performances boast deep cultural significance and unique artistic appeal, while concerts create an immersive experience that emotionally resonates with visitors. The growing trend of tourists dressing in traditional costumes for scenic photoshoots has also taken off, allowing them to express their individuality in creative ways," said Wang Jinwei, a professor at the School of Tourism Sciences of the Beijing International Studies University.
Following the summer vacation's longer and more demanding trips, and ahead of the week-long National Day holiday from Oct 1 to Oct 7, most people used the shorter Mid-Autumn Festival break for time with family and recharge.
The three-hour high-speed rail networks, where travelers can move between cities within three hours — such as the network connecting east China's Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province, and Shanghai, or those linking Guangzhou City and Shenzhen City in south China, Chengdu City and Chongqing Municipality in southwest China — saw particularly frequent movement.
Self-driving trips, or combining high-speed rail with car rentals, remained popular among travelers moving between cities within a province or across neighboring provinces.
"As travel expectations rise, more tourists are seeking relaxed and comfortable travel options, as seen during this Mid-Autumn Festival," Wang added.
Local, short-distance, cultural vibes tours lead China’s Mid-Autumn Holiday travel
